Track Listing

1. Autobiography
2. Pieces Of Me
3. Shadow
4. La La
5. Love Makes The World Go Round
6. Better Off
7. Love for Me
8. Surrender
9. Unreachable
10. Nothing New
11. Giving It All Away
12. Undiscovered
13. Harder Everyday (bonus track)
14. Sorry (UK bonus track)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49164 in Music
• Released on: 2004-08-30
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 51 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
You hear a lot of echoes throughout Ashlee Simpson's Autobiography, but her big-eyed, bright-smiled sister Jessica isn't behind a one of them. That'll come as no surprise to fans and anyone who has caught the "darker" Simpson sister on MTV, which is responsible for hurtling the hard-edged "Pieces of Me" onto radio playlists across the country and creating a mini frenzy over this CD's content. Stoking the gossip-fuelled flames is track three, "Shadow". On it, 19-year-old Ashlee spills her childhood resentment over her sister's attention-gulping career, ending up on a conciliatory note that has the surprising effect of making the Simpson divas' drama seem believable ("Everything's cool now…and the past is in the past," she sings). But serious music fans ought not to dilly-dally with the celeb stuff and dive right in, because this disc dishes up more than a lot of us bargained for. "LaLa" revs up the unsuspecting by way of out-and-out lustiness, "Love for Me" lays on the lovelorn angst thick, and the title track is a take-no-prisoners, love-me-or-leave-me rock anthem. Rippling throughout are cunningly malleable vocals, bending here for a kittenish Gwen Stefani effect, stretching there to sound Christina Aguilera-cathartic. Sweeter moments call to mind the indie sensibilities of Jill Sobule. More than others of her reality-show insta-star ilk, Ashlee Simpson's is an autobiography that shouts, "bring on the sequel". --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description
Autobiography, produced by John Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Michele Branch, Hilary Duff, Unwritten Law), has elements of rock, punk and pop, recalling Ashlee’s own favourite bands – ranging from The Pretenders and Blondie to Janis Joplin and Steve Nicks. Ashlee co-wrote every song on the album, working with the likes of Good Charlotte's Benji Madden, Ron Fair (Black Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera) and Weezer's Rivers Cuomo. Ashlee is currently starring in her very own MTV reality show Ashlee, which tracks her through the whole recording process and is going down a storm in the US. The world is set to learn all about the latest multimedia Simpson star.

CD Description
This is the debut album from US pop-rocker Ashlee Simpson, sister of US pop queen Jessica Simpson. Released after the popular reality TV show 'The Ashlee Simpson Show', which tracked her move from TV actress to rock star, the album is a world away from the sweet pop ballads of her sister, mixing indie rock, pop, and radio friendly metal.

Customer Reviews

I can't get enough of Ashlee's album!
I never thought i'd find myself listening to Ashlee Simpson when i heard that Jessica Simpsons sister was releasing an album i instantly thought she would be just like her sister..i was thinking a long the lines of Hilary Duff etc But i was wrong. This album is amazing i love it i've never listened to one album so much -one of the best albums i bought in 2004!

1) Autobiography - Love this song, great way to start the album off, v. energetic, feel good song!

2) Pieces Of Me - Ashlee's first song out in the UK and i love it, i can really relate!

3) Shadow - I love the lyrics and the idea to this rocky ballad, one of my favourites.

4) La La - Gotta love this song! It doesn't necessarily mean something its just tongue and cheek and gr8 to jump and dance around to! Love It!

5) Love Makes The World Go Round - I love this song! Lyrics mean a lot to me and i love the lyrics to this one, it's really sweet i see it as a feel good song.

6) Better Off - When i first got the album i had this on none stop as i can really relate to it my favourite line would have to be "The sky is falling And it's early in the morning But it's ok" cos when i used to get up for school i would dread it and i would listen to this song and i'd be like ykno what it's early in the morning i'd rather not be going, but it's ok. Ahh im rambling lol!

7) Love Me For Me - Wasn't too keen on this song at first cos i'm not really into Rock but not i love it its got a great beat to it. It's a really strong,powerful song with lyrics to match and i can definately relate!

8) Surrender - Another favourite of mine,an amazing song with great lyrics fun to mess around and dance to! Always makes me smile =P

9) Unreachable - To be honest never really quite understood this song, i kind of had to make my own asumptions with the lyrics but still a nice ballad.

10) Nothing New - Loved this song when i first listened to the album i can really relate to it, gr8 rocky edge to it!

11) Giving It All Away - Another one i could not stop playing i can really relate to the words to this one! Love It!

12) Undiscovered - Kind of relate this one to unreachable because they have the same kinda vibe going on still a gr8 track though!

13) Harder Everyday - Not one i was keen on at first but no wi'm growing to love it! I love the chorus and the way Ashlee sings it - that goes for all the songs i love the way shes sings them!

14) Sorry - Love this song its my favourite at the moment, totally can relate to it as i can to most of the tracks, but definately this one, its really rocky and edgy! Love the way she sings and shouts the lyrics its like she really means it! Love it!

Still in the shadow
She may have been in big sister Jessica's shadow, but that shadow propelled her to ephemeral MTV stardom. Only marginally talented pop star Ashlee Simpson made her debut in "Autobiography," a forgettable collection of rock-tinged pop, with limp writing and strained vocals.

The now-infamous title track starts off with the ominously intoned "You think you know me," as if to establish a sense of mystery. Following it up is a collection of passable guitar pop, like the whiny "Shadow," cringingly juvenile "Lala," and bland "Unreachable." Sprinkled here and there are some by-numbers ballads like "Undiscovered" and the bouncy pop of "Surrender."

Currently all the buzz about Simpson is about her SNL lipsynching gaffe, and formerly it was all about how she is pop superstar Jessica Simpson's little sis. But taken only by itself, Simpson's album is a bland, somewhat whiny pop confection that aspires to rockness, and falls short of its goal.

The music is fairly decent guitar pop, not outstanding but pleasant enough to listen to. John Shanks does a pretty decent job with guitar, bass and keyboards; the three guys who do percussion -- Jeff Rothschild, Kenny Aronoff and Abe Laboriel Jr. -- are passable as well. It's unfortunate that their music is paired with Simpson's vocals.

It's not written anywhere that you have to have an amazing voice to be a singer. And Simpson's might be passable if she stuck to growly intonations. Unfortunately she tries to hold notes and stretch them out -- and her voice starts cracking and straining. As she sings, "Living in the shadow/of someone else's dream," the word "dream" has quite a squeaky strain to it.

And the songwriting is not just bland, but immature and contradictory. Simpson spends quite some time lamenting that her sister was the pretty, popular one, then commands "Don't feel sorry for me!". If you don't want us to feel sorry for you, then why are you complaining? It gets worse, with Simpson coyly saying "You make me wanna lala in the kitchen on the floor." Interpret that as you will. The way I see it, I cannot understand why she sings a song about sex, then quickly softens the naughtiness with an infantile euphemism like "lala."

While the instrumentation backing Ashlee Simpson up is moderately good, her conflicting tough-girl/mopey-girl image and straining vocals make "Autobiography" all but a disaster. Sorry, Ashlee -- you're still in the shadow.

Amazing!
this album is amazing, it is definitly one to buy if you're into anything pop/rock! Ashlee has a very unique voice that is showcased exceptionally well on "pieces of me". Ashlee is going to be the next big thing, this is a fantastic album every penny is worth it!